GUWAHATI, May 16 - Sahapedia, an open online encyclopaedic resource on art and culture has embarked on an ambitious museum mapping project in India. On May 18 Sahapedia will celebrate International Museum Day through its �Museums of India� and �India Heritage Walk� programmes.
The aim of these programmes is to raise public awareness about museums as repositories of history and culture and as dynamic and inclusive spaces for dialogue among diverse communities.
The theme of International Museum Day (IMD) 2019 is �Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition�.
Spread across a week, the events will be kicked off on May 17 with a heritage walk at the Archive of North Indian Classical Music at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. The celebration will end with a baithak in Guwahati on May 24 where archaeologist Sanathana YS will speak on the subject �Temple Walls as Exhibition Spaces: Symbolism in Indian Temple Architecture� at the Assam State Museum here.
Sahapedia�s programmes, spanning 13 cities and to be held from May 17-24, include museum walks, anubhutis (experiences curated for persons with disabilities and underprivileged children) and baithaks (talks by experts). These events will be held in partnership with a number of social, cultural and not-for-profit organisations.
For the online audience, Sahapedia will host a #MeraMuseum contest on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook till May 19.
�The primary role of a museum is to collect, preserve and exhibit antiquities and artefacts. Now, in a vastly globalised world, museums have also emerged as a dynamic space for cultural exchange and enrichment,� Vaibhav Chauhan, secretary Sahapedia said.
